Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren dies at 91

Hall of Fame running back Steve Van Buren, who joined the NFL in 1944 and was named to the league’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994, has died at the age of 91.

“On the field and off, as a player, a leader and a man, Steve Van Buren embodied the finest characteristics of our city and our sport,” Eagles owners Jeffrey Lurie said in a release. “He was a friend and an inspiration to generations of fans, and the model of what an Eagle should be.”

He spent all of his eight NFL seasons with the Eagles, finishing with 5,860 yards. He is the only member of the franchise to ever lead the NFL in rushing — and he did it four times.

Van Buren, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965, also holds the highest single-season punt-return average in team history with 15.5 yards, the franchise’s highest career kickoff-return average with 26.7 yards, and the Eagles’ top single-game rushing yardage performance with 205. In 2011, LeSean McCoy broke Van Buren’s 66-year-old single-season touchdown record of 18. (McCoy finished the season with 20 touchdowns.)

Van Buren is survived by three daughters, 16 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.

I managed to find his 1948 Bowman card that provided the pic in this article at a going out of business sale a shop was having about a decade ago. I snatched it up quick. You never know when you’ll find such an awesome piece of old-school, badass history again.

I don’t really know why but I’ve had this picture of Steve Van Buren on my laptop’s desktop for about five years. Reminds me of the days of SVB, Norm Snead, Sam Huff, and my favorite player of all time Sonny Jurgensen.

I was lucky enough to have met him about 10 yrs ago, at a fundraising function. He was a True Gentleman and bled Eagles Green. May he rest in peace, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his Family and Friends. The Eagles will never see another like him.

Amazing how old school football players live so long but the steroid age players off themselves. Hmmmm prolonged steroid use does put you into depression but we will continue to blame it on concussions. Grown ass men who don’t take any responsibility for the steroids they used or the fact they wouldn’t sit out a game cause their bell was rung lol.

Thy had a nice tribute to him on NFLN this morning too where they detailed how he had a stroke and was determined to be able to walk again by the time the Eagles had a ceremony honoring their championship teams. He made it with bells on. He was obviously an amazing man and amazing player. RIP.